The earliest iron artifacts, dating from about 4000 bc, were made from meteoric iron and were therefore rare. Smelting iron from its ores came into general use about 1400 bc in the Middle East. During the next 500 years iron began to displace bronze in the manufacture of weapons and tools. Before the European Middle Ages, iron was mainly a utilitarian metal, with only secondary efforts in decoration. Arms, armour, and firearms were often decorated, however, usually simply but sometimes with elaborate ornamentation.

During the Middle Ages, iron began to achieve wide uses for a variety of domestic needs. Ironclad doors offered an added degree of protection but also provided new opportunities for decoration. Chests wrapped in iron provided both security and beauty. Wrought iron gates, grilles, railings, and balustrades not only fulfilled a functional requirement for strong structures but also provided the artisan with a new means for expressing ornamentation in architecture. From the 16th century, ironwork developed highly ornate designs, with scrolls, leaves, flowers, and interlaced patterns. As iron became more common, it found wider use in household utensils, fireplace implements, stoves, grates, pans, cauldrons, locks, and hardware. Lanterns, torch holders, candleholders, and chandeliers were also wrought from iron. Most ironwork was forged with hammer and anvil until the 19th century, when cast ironwork became common.